Foal Hostages
by Toni The Mink
Summary: COMISSION: The Lion Guard learn that Janja and his hyena pack have kidnapped a pack of foals, and are holding them hostage at the dreaded Elephant Graveyard. Naturally Kion feels the need to lead his team there for a rescue mission, but is Simba willing to put his son through such a great risk?
1. Chapter 1

The Lion Guard  
"Foal Hostages"  
Written by: Toni the Mink  
Commissioned by: Bat138  
All characters and related indica (c) Disney Enterprises

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A/N: This is a fanfic that was commissioned by a friend. I started it around May, but was swamped with so much life activity (mainly getting married, lol!) I haven't found much time to finish the second half... so I'm showing off what I have so far, in hopes of motivation by reviewers to continue the rest...

I do apologize for the lame title... I couldn't think of anything decent, and since I was overdue in posting my progress, I needed to come up with something on the spot... Feel free to make a better suggestion XD

Interested in commissioning a story from me? Check out my prices on my front page, and shoot me a PM! My archive may be 90% Sonic, but with a little research, I'm willing to write anything you ask!

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* * *

It was a bright, sunny day in the animal kingdom, and hot as usual. The Lion Guard escaped from the heat at their usual spot, Hakuna Matata Falls, where they hid in the shade away from the scorching sun. All but Bunga, of course, who preferred the wet treatment.

" _Zuka zama!"_ the honey badger boomed as he nailed a cannon ball into the nearby body of water, creating a huge splash that headed for his friends. Fuli shrieked and raced away while Ono took to higher ground. Kion and Beshte, however, stayed put and allowed the splash to hit them, welcoming the cool water in the heat.

"C'mon, friends!" Bunga chimed as he mastered the backstroke, "The water's great! Can't hog it all to myself now, can I?"

Kion gave a quick shake of his body to rid himself of any excess water and made his way over. Fuli inched back over carefully. "I don't get you, Kion," she said, "Cats usually hate water… myself included. How do you willingly get yourself all wet?"

"My dad long ago got me used to water," Kion grinned, "Used to swim all the time with Timon and Pumbaa, and so he got me accustomed to it as well. Nothing wrong with a little wet fur."

"If you say so," Fuli muttered, trotting over to the other edge of the water, "I prefer the dry look."

"Hey Kion!" Bunga boasted, "Let's see if you can master a dive like your old man!"

"He taught me a few things or two," Kion crouched down, wiggling his tush a bit, "Ready? Here I-"

 _ **"KION!"**_

"GAH!" the lion cub jumped to the air in shock, after hearing his name screeched by a baboon and flailed into the water. In the process, he created a bigger splash than intended… which of course landed on Fuli. The young cheetah cringed as she was drenched head to toe, and shuddered violently.

"Rafiki?" Kion surfaced and paddled his way to the edge of the pool, "What is it? Why so worried?"

"No time for play time!" Rafiki said, "Your father just got word from the underground that the hyenas are in the pride land, ambushing a pack of zebras. You must go out there and protect them! Post haste!"

Kion climbed out of the water, shaking his body dry once more. "We're on it!" he announced, "Lion Guard, move out!"

* * *

Far out in the pride lands, the guard came across a grassy knoll, where a pack of zebras raced around in circles, shrieking, and clearly in a panicked frenzy. They looked around, but couldn't spot any hyenas nearby.

"There're the zebras," murmured Fuli, "But where are the hyenas? They don't usually take off until we tell them to."

"We'll look for them, later," Kion ordered, "Right now, let's calm down the herd."

The guard raced in, though had to back away slightly to avoid getting trampled. Ono flew overhead. "Um… Excuse me…" he called down, "Please calm down! There aren't any hyenas in the vicinity. You can all relax."

Bunga climbed up on Beshte's head, waving his arms wildly. "Helloooo!" he boomed, "Stop running! You're freaking out over nothing here!"

"Can any of you tell us what happened?" Beshte called out, "We can't help you if you don't calm down." He stepped forward, hoping to block the path of some zebras, only to be used as a springboard for them.

Kion sighed. "This is getting us nowhere…"

"Allow me…" Fuli stepped up, took in a deep breath, and screamed, " _ **KNOCK IT OFF!"**_

Practically in a second, the zebras stopped in their tracks. Fuli gave a smug smile. "Thank you."

The zebras began to collect themselves as Kion trotted over to the leader of the zebra pack, Thurston. "What happened?" he asked him, "We were told there were hyenas bothering you, but there aren't any here."

Thurston blinked. "Did something happen?"

Kion rolled his eyes. Leader of the pack, everybody… "Well, you were all running and panicking for _some_ reason."

"Oh yeah," said Thurston, "They panicked and ran because I told them to."

"And _why_ did you tell them to?"

Thurston lifted his head proudly. "Because I run the zebra pack," he announced, "Everything I tell them to do, they do because I'm in charge."

Kion ran a paw down his face. "Ugh… _WHY_ where you panicking and running to begin with?"

"Oh! Good question!" Thurston thought back a moment, "Because… Because… Hm, now why were we again?"

"Thurston, if I may…" a female zebra gently nudged past him and stepped up to Kion, "Lion Guard, thank goodness you're here! There we were, grazing on this knoll, happily minding our own business… when suddenly we were attacked! Not by one, or by two, but by MANY! Too many to count! They chased us around, threatened to chow down on our hides, and worse yet, rounded up several of our little ones and made off with them!"

The group gasped. "They took your foals?"

The zebra sadly nodded. "I wanted to go after them, but then Thurston ordered us to panic and run, so I did was he told us to…"

"Did anyone see where the hyenas went off to?" Kion questioned.

The zebrass looked around at each other cluelessly, and shrugged one after another. Fuli gave an exasperated sigh and lowered her head. "So we've got nothing to go on then, do we?"

"Sorry…" spoke another zebra, stepping up, "We all sort of zoned out once we began panicking… We just ran like crazy, not really paying attention to what we were running into and where. I think I may have even ran over a hyena's leg in the midst of my hysteria."

"You did?" Kion cried, and the guard gathered together.

Ono squinted at the zebra's leg. Sure enough, there was a small, red stain just above his front hoof. "Kion, look!" he pointed out, "There's a small speck of blood on that zebra! He managed to injure one of the hyenas!"

"Good eye, Ono!" said Kion, "If there is an injured hyena, then he couldn't have gotten too far. Scout around and see if you can find a trail."

"Affirmative!" Ono took to the skies, floating around and using his keen eyesight to spot anything out of the ordinary. Sure enough, it didn't take long for the egret to spot a small trail of blood leading away from the knoll, otherwise hard to pick up for the normal, naked eye. "Kion! Guys!" Ono soared back, "I may have found where the hyena went off to! Follow me!"

The guard raced after Ono as he flew ahead, leading them away from the knoll. They trudged several yards until the trail ended near a pile of bushes. Ono carefully landed nearby as his teammates caught up, and motioned them to stay quiet as he pointed to the nearby bushes.

Kion nodded and quietly stepped towards the bush, keeping an ear out for any unusual noise.

"Owww…! Careful, Asante, that hurts!"

"Shh! Quiet, Chaku, they'll hear you…"

Well, that noise was certainly unusual. Kion stepped back, smirking at Bunga and giving a nod. Bunga grinned mischievously, snuck up to the bush, and suddenly pulled them open. " _MSHANGAO!"_

" _Aiiiyeee!"_ the two hyenas screeched, grabbing each other for support.

The Lion Guard surrounded the two hyenas. "If you know what's good for you," Fuli snarled, "You'll tell us where your hyena crowd took those young foals."

"We ain't sayin' nuttin!" the male hyena, Chaku, snarled back.

"Oh won't you?" Beshte stepped forward, threateningly, "I'd hate for you to hurt the _other_ leg…"

The female, Asante, jumped in front of her friend, growling in defense.

"You hyenas don't stand a chance," said Fuli, "There's five of us, and only two of you… well, one if you don't count the one with the broken leg."

Though she knew she was right, Asante still stood her ground.

"I'm sure you don't want anything else to happen to your friend," Kion warned, "So you're better off just coming with us, nice and easy…"

Asante glanced back at her injured friend. Sighing, she lowered her head and nodded.

* * *

The Guard brought the two hyenas back to Pride Rock and to the former lair that had once belonged to Scar, but nowadays the Lion Guard used more or less as an "interrogation room."

The hyenas were backed against the wall as the guard circled around them. Asante stepped closer to her injured friend to protect him. "Look, you said you'd help Chaku if you brought us in," she said, "His leg could get infected if we don't start treating it!"

Kion nodded. "We'll get him the treatment he needs, but first you tell us what we need to know."

"Don't tell 'em anything, Asante!" shouted Chaku, "I'll chew my leg off before I let either of us ruin Janja's plan!"

"And what plan is that?" Kion growled, closing in on the two.

Asante rolled her eyes at Chaku, who placed a paw over his mouth. "Whoops…"

"So… You wanna start talking or start chewing?" Fuli stepped forward, threatening to land a paw on Chaku's injured leg. The hyena quickly pulled away, and winced in pain.

Asante lowered her head. "Please don't hurt him," she said, "I'll tell you everything, as long as you get him medical attention."

Kion nodded. "I promise. You can trust me."

"I know," Asante gave a small smile, "Janja gathered a large group of hyenas to startle the zebras so that they could take the foals away."

"Why the foals though?" asked Beshte, "And why didn't they just go after the zebras like usual?"

"Shut it, Asante!" growled Chaku.

Ignoring him, the female hyena continued, "Janja's usual method of sneaking into the Pride Lands to grab an animal or two usually doesn't work, so he's trying something new. He took the pack of foals to hold them hostage."

"Hostage?"

Asante nodded. "Rather than sneaking in and being chased away as always, Janja's looking to negotiate with you and King Simba. He wants pieces of the Prideland for him and the rest of the hyenas to enter and hunt."

Kion narrowed his eyes. "Taking hostages isn't exactly the way to negotiate peacefully…"

"You think you'd be willing to sit down to a nice cup of tea and talk things over?" Chaku snapped, "Of course he had to take hostages! It's the only way he'd get your attention! If any of us even LOOKED towards the Pride Lands, you little Freedom Fighters would chase us away like we're a disease!"

"Your so-called 'hunting' is a disease itself!" sneered Fuli, "You don't just hunt to eat, you do it for sport! You kill as many animals as you can, leaving nothing but bones for your fellow carnivores. We remember Scar's reign all too well…"

"That's enough, Fuli!" Kion ordered, then turned back to the hyenas, "One more thing… Where is Janja holding the foals?"

"Deep in a cave, in the midst of the Elephant Graveyard," Asante responded, "Now will you please take care of Chaku's leg?"

"Beshte, Bunga," Kion spoke, "Take Chaku to Rafiki's lair, and stay with him until I come get you. Make sure he doesn't try anything."

Beshte walked along Chaku, helping him to walk out of the lair, with Bunga close behind.

"Thank you…" spoke Asante.

"You're welcome," said Kion, "But now you're coming with us to the lion's den. We're keeping an eye on you until Rafiki bandages your friend's wounds. Once he's back on his feet, we'll let you go."

"I should also tell you that the longer we stay here, the more Janja's going to notice we're missing," said Asante.

Fuli raised an eyebrow. "Two hyenas out of a crowd that big?" she said skeptically, "How is that possible?"

"Chaku and I are pretty popular, actually," Asante responded, though not so proudly of the fact, "We're the children of two of Scar's original top hyenas. Shenzi was my mom, and Chaku is Bonzai's son. When the others start to notice we're not there, Janja's going to know something wrong happened and will move the foals to another location."

Kion nodded, understanding. "Gotcha. Thanks for the info. Let's take you to the den then."

* * *

Kion, Fuli, and Ono brought Asante to Pride Rock and to the lions' den, where many of the lions and lionesses circled the hyena and kept a close eye on her. Asante knew better than to try and attack, and cooperated. But needless to say, Simba wasn't completely on board with bringing a hyena into the lions' den.

"Kion, this is madness!" Simba scolded his young son, "Hyenas are not welcomed in the Pride Lands… and you bring one of them to _our den_?"

"Safety measures, Dad," Kion responded, "We promised we'd help the injured hyena, but we shouldn't send them back separately. As far as we know, Janja doesn't know they're with us. We have to play our cards carefully if we're to get those foals back."

"Speaking of the kidnapped foals," Nala trekked over and joined her husband and son, "Beshte mentioned something about a 'negotiation'… What's that about?"

"Janja is holding the zebra foals hostage," Kion explained, "He wants to negotiate about allowing him and his hyena gangs to enter parts of the Prideland in order to hunt, though knowing him he'll do much worse than that…"

Simba shook his head. "I will not give in to such cruel methods…"

"But what about the foals?" asked Nala, "Kion, do you know where Janja's holding them?"

The cub nodded. "In a cave, somewhere deep in the Elephant Graveyard."

Simba was taken back at this.

Nala hardened her look. "Kion, listen… the Elephant Graveyard lies beyond our borders. Once there, you'll have no authority over any other animal in the kingdom, and it's basically a free for all… It's _very_ dangerous…"

"I know, Mom," said Kion, "We'll be careful, I promise."

Simba lowered his head. "Kion… I-"

" _Hey Kion!"_

The lion king was cut off by Bunga's excited shout, as the rest of the Lion Guard came trotting up Pride Rock towards the den. "Rafiki's finished with Chaku," said the honey-badger, "What say we grab the other hyena and we make a little visit to the elephant graveyard?"

Kion smirked and nodded. "Good idea. Lion Guard-!"

" _Kion!"_

The cub froze in his tracks as his father called sharply to him, as if he was in trouble. Cringing, he looked back to Simba, expecting him to be upset, but was confused when Simba was showing an expression of worry. "Dad..?"

"Kion… You musn't go."

Kion raised an eyebrow. "I shouldn't? With all due respect, Dad, you _do_ know about the young foals Janja's holding hostage, right?"

Simba narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I do… And I also know, like your mother said, that the Elephant Graveyard is most dangerous. I know you're the leader of the guard, son, but you're also still just a cub."

"Daaaad," Kion moaned, "Come on, I'm not _that_ young."

"I know you can handle tasks around the kingdom," Simba continued, "But the Elephant Graveyard is out of your league. I'll send stronger lions in your place."

"Dad, come on!" Kion protested, stepping forward, "You're embarrassing me in front of my team! Why don't you trust me all the sudden?"

"This isn't about trust, Kion!" Simba suddenly shouted, a roar almost slipping out, "This is about your safety! You may be the lion guard, but you're still my son, and you're the only son I have! I don't want to lose you!"

Kion was quiet at that. Was the Elephant Graveyard really _that_ dangerous..?

"Simba…" Nala cut in gently, "I understand your worry. I'm worried too… But Kion isn't a naïve cub who just wants to show how brave he is. He's got a duty, and you know that he'll fulfill that duty no matter the cost. You know as well as I do, and he does, what we put on the line to ensure the safety and well-being of our subjects."

Simba glanced away. "I know…" he muttered, "It's just… the last time you and I were at the Elephant Graveyard…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Bunga held his hands up, "YOU two went to the Elephant Graveyard one time?"

The king nodded. "Yes, Bunga… Nala and I were young cubs looking for adventure, and we were almost killed… had my father not shown up to save us. Needless to say it wasn't our proudest moment."

"You can't let one bad memory hinder decisions though, Dad," said Kion.

"It's not that we misbehaved or that your grandfather was disappointed with me that day," said Simba, "It's the fact that I almost got your mother and myself killed… The fear we both experienced, knowing how close we were to death… Kion, I don't want you to go through those fears either. Worse yet… I'm afraid I may lose you."

Kion lowered his head. "I understand, Dad," he spoke, "Really I do… But if I don't do my duty and face whatever danger is ahead, then what's the point of my ancestors giving me The Roar?"

Nala smiled. "He's got you there, Simba," she said, "Remember… Bravery isn't about not being scared. It's being scared, but going through anyway. And I know you're the one of the bravest lions I've ever known."

Simba closed his eyes, mulling it over. He finally gave a long sigh. "Very well," he sighed, "But promise me you'll be careful!"

Kion grinned. "Don't worry, Dad," he assured, "I've the guard to back me up!"

"Just always remember to keep your guard up at all times," said Simba, "Don't get cocky… And above all else, _come back safe!_ "

"I will!" Kion called, as he and his team ran off together, "'Till the Pride Lands' end…!"

"Lion Guard defend!" the rest cheered.

* * *

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With the exception of Chaku and Asante, all the characters were ones who appeared in the actual "Lion Guard" cartoon. Asante, however, was a hyena in the Lion King novels, who was basically a kind hyena, not like the others... the idea of her being Shenzi's daughter was from a deviantArt pic I came across once which stated such headcanon, and I went with it XD

Chaku is a hyena that I made up, as well as the fact that he is Banzai's son.

More to come! Stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I completed this over a week ago, but didn't hear any feedback from the man who commissioned it, so I'm going ahead to post the rest. Enjoy! :D

* * *

Deep within the intimidating, dark lands of the Elephant Graveyard, a large group of hyenas were gathered. In the center was a small herd of young zebras, trapped underneath a large ribcage that once belonged to a massive elephant, but now served as a makeshift cage to keep the foals captive.

A few hyenas circled around the cage, eyeing the young foals hungrily. "Mmm mmm!" Cheezi grinned, his slobbering tongue hanging out from the side of his mouth, "Look at the size of that round one on the left there!"

"I've got my eye on the lean one in the center," grinned Chungu, "Looks like a real tough one… just how I like my meat!"

The zebra in the center narrowed his eyes and lowered his head defensively. "You won't even get your paws on us, once the Lion Guard comes to save us!" he boasted.

The circling hyenas did what they did best and laughed. "The Lion Guard don't even know where you guys are!" chuckled Nne.

"That's right," sneered Tano, "You're all ours to do whatever we want." He stepped dangerously closer to the frightened foals, drooling tongue hanging out on the side, as ready to taste-test…

" _Back off, fur brain!"_

Tano jumped back, growling as Janja stepped in his way, glaring fiercely. "I told you… Paws, AND TEETH off until we hear back from King Simba. Our deal's no good if we don't have our bargaining chips."

"Chips..?" one of the smaller zebras questioned, "But we're made of meat, not potatoes…"

The hyenas laughed at the stupid innocence. "Aren't you cute?" laughed Janja, "What you guys are are our tickets to as many free meals as we want. If Simba indeed cares about his subjects that he usually eats himself anyway, he'll give into our demands in order to let us hunt for whatever we want on the Pride Lands."

"The king will never give into your demands!" the center zebra foal exclaimed, "So you might as well just eat us now!"

"Sounds like a plan, Janja!" Chungu grinned, but Janja shoved him away.

"Easy, gang," he warned, "Don't give into these little pipsqueaks. If we eat them now, it's only a small meal that'll hold us until we have to scavenge for more food. But if we threaten these little munchkins, Simba'll eventually have to give in and let us hunt in the Pridelands."

Nne slightly narrowed his eyes. "Until we eat everything in sight, like the hyenas before us?"

Janja shrugged. "Eh. We'll cross that bridge when we get there…"

" _Janjaaa!"_ the caw of a vulture rang throughout the graveyard. The hyenas glanced up to see a kettle of vultures flying ahead and circling around, before making their way to the ground in front of Janja. The center vulture gave a polite bow. "You called for us?"

The hyena leader nodded. "Nice response time, Mzingo. Got a job for you. See those little foals over there?" he motioned over to the group of zebra foals under the makeshift cage. "Go to King Simba and Queen Nala, and let them know that we have them. If they want their safe return, Simba is to give us a quarter of the Pridelands for all us hyenas to hunt and eat on, whenever we want, wherever we want. Tell them they have until sundown to decide."

"And what of the Lion Guard?" asked Mzingo.

Janja gave a hearty laugh. "Those little twerps wouldn't last a minute in the Elephant Graveyard. Besides, they don't know where we're hiding. They'll never think to look here. And that means keeping YOUR break shut as well!" the hyenas poked a claw at the vulture's beak.

Mzingo stepped back, slightly irate. "I make no mistakes," he muttered, "Consider the task already complete." The vulture turned and flapped back into the sky, taking off out of the graveyard.

* * *

"Stay close, Guard," Kion ordered, as the five were stepping into uncharted territory. The grass was becoming less greener and the atmosphere was growing darker. They were definitely far from home.

Beshte couldn't help but shudder. "Oh man," he whimpered, "This is too creepy… Kion, are you sure this is a good idea, being here?"

"We're the Lion Guard, Beshte," said Kion, "And those zebra foals need our help. If we don't go, who else will?"

Fuli pressed on bravely. "Come on, Beshte," she said, "I know this place is scary, but face your fears. Part of being brave is still being scared, but saddling up anyway."

"You sure don't look afraid of anything," said Beshte.

"Of course not!" Fuli smirked, looking back to face her hippo friend, "I walk on the wild side. I _laugh_ in the face of danger, ha ha ha!" As the cheetah turned back, she was suddenly face to face with a creepy looking elephant skull. "Eiyaaaa!"

 _"_ _Shhhh!"_ Kion quickly clamped a paw over Fuli's mouth, "Keep it down! There's no telling where the hyenas could be hidden…" He released her and stepped back, "Ono, you better scout around."

Ono looked around nervously. "I don't wanna sound like a chicken, Kion," he said, "But that would be most unwise… My feathers are too bright. In this dark atmosphere, I'll stick out like a sore thumb."

"Gotcha covered!" Bunga announced as he gathered an armful of dirt, and completely caked the egret head to toe.

Ono shuddered. "Eughhh…" he muttered, holding out his wings, which dripped with dirt and mud.

"Don't shake it off!" said Kion, "Good thinking, Bunga. Ono should be able to fly around without being spotted."

"Yeah… REAL good thinking, Bunga…" Ono grumbled, as he took off to the sky and soared on ahead. Using his keen sight, he searched around, covering several yards, until he reached a clearer area. He circled around, being careful to keep his distance, but keep a clear eye out.

In the center was a large pack of hyenas, circling around a cage made of elephant ribs, holding a small herd of zebra foals.

Ono turned and made his way back to his team. "Kion!" he announced, "I've located the foals! They're further north, towards the center of the graveyard. But, there's a lot of them… a WHOLE lot. And they're getting more and more impatient…"

"Hopefully, if there ARE a lot, they won't notice the popular hyenas haven't returned with them just yet," said Fuli.

"We can't take any chances," said Kion, "We gotta move out! Ono, lead the way!"

* * *

Back at Pride Rock, Simba paced nervously back and forth, and Nala sat nearby, patiently waiting for any news.

"King Simba!"

The king glared up as a familiar vulture soared his way, and landed nearby.

"Mzingo!" Simba snarled, "What are you doing here?"

"What troubles you, my liege?" Mzingo mused, "You look worried."

"As a matter of fact, I heard a pack of hyenas kidnapped a bunch of foals," said Simba, "The Lion Guard is searching for them now, but they haven't checked in since…"

"Possibly because they don't know where to look," Mzingo smirked, "But I do…"

Simba narrowed his eyes. "Where are they?"

"That is not my place to say…"

At that, Simba let loose a ferocious roar and lunged at the vulture, who was only too quick to jump back and soar around in the sky. "If you value the lives of your young subjects, my king, you will cooperate…" He floated down, just out of Simba's reach, "Janja is willing to return the foals to their herd… but on ONE condition."

Simba growled, but complied. "What is it?"

"If you allow his hyena clan territory on the Pride Lands to hunt, then he will return the foals."

"I can't allow that," said Simba, "Not only should I not negotiate with the enemy, but if I let the hyenas hunt, they'll likely take more than their fair share of prey."

"Then I suppose the lives of a few young zebras is worth keeping the Circle of Life in tact, am I right?" Mzingo smirked.

Simba lowered his head in defeat.

"Janja is quite reasonable. You have until sunset to make your decision, King Simba." Mzingo turned and flew off towards the horizon.

Simba raised his head as Nala approached his side. "You're not considering giving in, are you?"

"Of course not," Simba responded, "I had to give a convincing performance." He gazed over the land, to where the shadows laid past the borders. "I just hope Kion's successful in his mission…"

The trek across the graveyard was much longer to the rest of the guard than it was to Ono, who could easily fly ahead with no obstacles in the way. After much cliff climbing and steep, slippery sides to creep down, the guard finally were able to locate the group of hyenas, complete in the center, a small group of zebra foals inside a makeshift cage.

"There they are!" Bunga excitedly whispered, "Let's bust 'em out!"

"Hold up, Bunga," Kion warned, holding out a paw, "Ono wasn't kidding. There _are_ way too many hyenas there…"

"I'm never one to kid," Ono murmured.

"There's way more than usual," Beshte observed, "Not surprising, since a whole lot of hyenas used to live here. But how are we gonna take them all on? There's only five of us, and, well… a lot more of them. I can't squash them ALL…"

"And I'm better in the air, than on the ground," sighed Ono.

"You're all aren't cowering out NOW, are you?" Fuli hissed.

"There could be a zillion of them, and I'll STILL battle 'em all!" Bunga tightened his fists.

"Going cowboy now isn't going to help," said Kion, "We've got to think up a strategy first. Keep your spirits high, team!"

Fuli leaned in towards the crowd. "Hey… something's going on…"

The rest looked down. The hyenas looked to be increasingly anxious, and a few approached Janja, standing near the cage.

"Hey Janja!" Cheezi called as he and Chungu approached their leader, "We got a bit of an issue here…"

"I told you," Janja growled, "You can the round one on the left, but you need to wait 'till sunset!"

"That ain't it," said Cheezi, "Chungu and I were walking around the pack, and couldn't help but notice Asante and Chaku aren't around…"

Janja tightened his look. "What do you mean?"

"Cheezi was lookin' for Asante, tryin' ta ask her out again!" Chungu laughed, only to be smacked by Cheezi.

"Shaddup, fur-brain!" he snarled.

"You sure they aren't here?" said Janja.

The two nodded. "Looked around, asked around, nobody remembers seeing them coming back with us."

"Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?" Janja shouted.

"Sorry," Chunga chuckled, "Too distracted with that delicious young meat over there…"

Janja growled, running a paw down his face. "Oooo… We can't be too careful. For all we know, the guard grabbed 'em and made 'em squeal like warthogs. We need to grab these zebras and move 'em elsewhere."

"Aw, but Janja," Tano stepped over and pointed to the sky, "It's starting to get dark, and no sign of Simba. Do we REALLY have to go through all this? We're getting' hungry here…"

Janja gave a low sigh. "If Simba ain't here by now, I guess he ain't comin' at all. Okay, movin' 'em's a waste of time. Go nuts, gang!"

The foals huddled as close as they could in fear, as the hyenas roared with laughter, making their way towards the cage with hungry looks.

"Kion, we don't have time to strategize!" cried Fuli, "If we don't act now, those foals are done for!"

Kion nodded. "You're right! Lion Guard, time to improvise! Best judgement tactics, GO!"

The Lion Guard made their presence known as they dashed down the steep hill and charged at the hyenas.

"The Lion Guard?" Janja screamed, "No way! Take 'em down, gang! We've got 'em outnumbered!"

The hyenas themselves charged at the guard, fangs and claws unleashed. Kion, Fuli, Ono, and Bunga darted to the side, allowing Beshte to dash full on into the hyenas, knocking them into the air like loose bowling pins. He kept charging towards the cage. Janja and the others shrieked and dove out of the way, as Beshte slammed into the makeshift cage. It shattered into pieces, freeing the zebra foals.

Noticing the zebras were out in the open, a few hyenas made their way towards them with tongues hanging out. However, they didn't get close enough when Fuli and Kion managed to leap in front of them, swiping their distracted faces and leaving painful marks.

Bunga faced off against another hyena, trying to get to the zebra foals. The hyena growled viciously, but Bunga, being a honey badger himself, growled ferociously back. The hyena went to snap at him, but Bunga jumped on his face and clung on tightly. The hyenas shook his head wildly, trying to shake him off. Bunga only let go when the hyena smacked his head into a rock, knocking him out.

However, there were still a large amount of hyenas still raring to go at it for their zebra meals. The Lion Guard backed up close behind each other. "We can fight a few at a time," said Beshte, "But there's just too many more after that…"

"Yeah Kion," said Fuli, "This is probably our toughest fight yet… If only we could take them out in one full sweep."

"That's what the Roar is for," said Kion, "But I need them all in front of me."

Ono searched around quickly, taking note of the dust, dirt, and debris all around. "I have an idea!" he spoke, "Fuli, can you kick up a dust storm? I'll help direct!"

"Got it!" Fuli sprinted to the side, using all the speed she could muster to pick up all the dust and dirt around them as she raced in circles. Ono jumped to the sky, and used his wings to guide the windstorm Fuli was kicking up to form a tornado.

The hyenas looked around frantically, their visibility becoming less and less. They raced around themselves to escape the dirt storm, which allowed Fuli to expand her circle and make the storm bigger.

"Kion, stay put!" Ono called from above, "Beshte and Bunga, get the hyenas in front of him!"

"Foals, get behind me!" Kion ordered. The little zebras were too quick to listen and galloped behind the small lion. Beshte rammed into the panicked hyenas, knocking them forward and towards the front of Kion. Bunga did the same. Although he was not as strong as the hippo, he was able to slap, swipe, and basically scare them hyenas towards the same direction.

Ono watched intently, waiting until he was certain all the hyenas were in front of Kion. "Fuli, stop!" he shouted, "Now, Kion!"

The symbol on Kion's leg glowed brightly as the cub summoned the power of his ancestors, and let loose an extraordinary loud and powerful roar, with enough force to blow the entire hyena crowd long and far away.

The power died down, and the windstorm calmed. The guard could clearly see what was around them. Kion looked up to the egret. "Ono, find a clear path and lead the way out of the graveyard. We'll be right behind you. Hurry before some of those hyenas try to come back."

"Affirmative!" Ono obliged, soaring around and finding a clear path that would stray away from any lingering hyenas. "This way!"

Kion turned to the young zebras and smiled. "Let's get you foals home."

* * *

After a carefully scouted route and a long trek, the Lion Guard were able to safely escort the zebra foals out of the Elephant Graveyard and back to Pride Rock, where their parents and families were waiting. The zebras happily neighed as the sight of their foals, and both raced around happily in circles, having been reunited. After much circling, they all became dazed and confused, and unaware which direction to go to return home.

Nala chuckled. "You may want to arrange an escort to take the zebras back, Simba."

Simba nodded. "I'll ask Kiara and her friends later. I think Kion and his crew deserve a rest." He turned to the Lion Guard, lined up proudly next to each other. "I'm glad to see you've all made it out in one piece. I never thought I'd say such a thing after you've ventured into the Elephant Graveyard… but I am proud of you. Each and every one."

He approached his son and surprised him with a head bunt. "Especially you, Kion."

"Awww, Daaaad," Kion moaned, "Come on, not in front of my friends…"

Simba gave him an amused smile.

"Now what do we do about these two?" Rafiki's piped up, as he suddenly appeared with Chaku and Asante close behind.

Kion stepped forward. "We couldn't have saved those foals without your help," he said, "You're free to go."

Asante and Chaku looked at each other, then turned back, looking rather unsure.

"Is there a problem?" Nala asked.

"Weellll," Chaku dragged his paw on the ground, "See, if we go back to Janja, he's gonna know we spilled the beans. So he's gonna punish us. Like…. REAL bad…"

"Or worse…" Asante murmured.

The lions all looked at each other for a moment. "So what are you asking?" Simba asked.

"The reason why some of the hyenas try to sneak into the Pridelands is more than just to hunt," said Asante, "It's very beautiful… A true place to call home. Living in the Outlands, especially the Elephant Graveyard… It's horrible."

"Y'all think all we wanna do is just eat mercilessly and cause trouble, but that ain't true!" Chaku shouted, "Not all hyenas are the same ya know! We just wanna live our lives in peace!"

"Then why stay with Janja then?" asked Fuli.

"Janja gains control through fear and power," said Asante, "He has a huge crowd because a lot of the hyenas are afraid of him. If they learn that his way isn't necessarily the true hyena way, maybe the Animal Kingdom wouldn't think so less of us…"

"Sooooo whattya say?" Chaku gave a hopeful grin, "Can we stick around? Please..?"

"Hyenas living in the Pride Land..?" Simba murmured, "Sounds insane…"

Nala smirked. "About as insane as a lion being raised by a warthog and a meerkat, and his diet consisting of bugs?"

Simba gave a small smile and shook his head. "Good point," he turned to the hyenas, "After what you've done for us, you may stay for now…. But under heavy supervision."

"In another words, like prisoners?" Chaku spat.

"In OTHER words," Kion snapped, "Until you prove we can trust you, and that hyenas truly CAN live in the Pride Lands without causing any issues."

Asante nodded. "It's a good start. Thank you."

"What sounded like a mere rescue mission ends in something so much more than you all realize!" Rafiki called out gloriously, "One day, all animals will be reunited in the kingdom. Lions, hyenas, monkeys, hippos, exedra…. While we all have our issues, troubles, and judgments, this is indeed the step towards a new and better life. For we are all part of the circle of life."

And out of completely nowhere, Bunga started singing, " _Naaants ingonyaman bagithi Baba!"_

Only to be smacked upside the head by Fuli. "Ow…."

 **THE END**


End file.
